Per Larsen
Until 1990 there were less than 900 Optimist in the United States. Around that time Per Larsen, originally from Denmark, and his wife Shirley began importing the Winner Optimist. In the same year (1990) the Optiparts Company was founded, and the Larsen's were asked to be their representative in North America. Through the years the line of products has grown and grown, and today almost 400 different parts are shipped to over 65 countries around the world.
In 1997 Steve Sherman and Mclaughlin Boat Works were asked to continue the work Per and Shirley had begun. Mclaughlin had been building the Optimist for seven years at the time, and it was apparent they would eventually become a leader in Optimist production.
Tom Coleman was hired to manage this new facet of McLaughlin. He was responsible for much of the innovation that has occurred since 1997. For instance, in the fall of 1997 he invited the knowledgeable dealers and coaches of the time to a conference in Chattanooga. Robbert Noordanus, the founder and part owner in Optiparts came over from Holland. One of the items on the agenda was the development of a new racing spar. Robbert suggested a few ideas, and the other participants took it from there. Late on a Saturday night in a secluded cabin located in North Carolina, the Black Gold spar set was born. People such as Scott Hardy, Jim Kohler, Dev Colie and others contributed ideas. Robbert, an engineer, went back and put those ideas into practice. This is typical of the cooperation and innovation Tom brought to Larsen and Optiparts. From coining names such as "Shark Skin," "Moistureguard," and "WinDesign," Tom, Mclaughlin and Robbert worked together to expand the product line and market the brand name.
Year after year Optiparts has developed new products that make optimist sailing safer and more fun for everyone.
In recent years Optiparts/WinDesign has added 420 and Laser parts to its line. These include all covers, sails, spars, spinnaker poles and fittings. Other products such as timers, educational DVD's, non-skid materials, mast floatation, luggage, wet suits, boots, gloves, life jackets, cordage and blocks apply to any sailing activity.
Larsen also distributes optimist products from Tebbertmann foils, N1 foils and Giulietti spars. Just about anything optimist found in the world can be obtained from Larsen. A few of the other product lines represented by Larsen include Gill clothing and sailing gear, Anderson (Elvstrom) Bailers, North, Quantum and Olympic sails, plus a continued growing line of other nautical products.
Larsen supplies Marine equipment to over 30 sailing shops in North America, making the continued growth of sailing easy and affordable. |
